Marlena Smalls and The Gullah: The Revival of a Unique Community

Does the name Marlena Smalls ring a bell? Probably not. At least not yet. If this large woman with an even larger smile and sparkling eyes has her way, however, the language, customs, and songs of the Gullah will become happily familiar to millions of people outside of the Sea Islands. For it is Mrs. Smalls' dream that through her and her performing troupe's efforts their Gullah community will no longer be an isolated, anachronistic hangover from the days of slavery in the United States, but a vibrant cultural addition to the 21st century global village.
　　The Sea Islands comprise a group of islands just off the southeast U.S. Atlantic coast of South Carolina and Georgia. Descendants of slaves settled here tilling the fertile land of these islands and the adjacent coastline. A rich overlay of a mixture of West African languages onto 17th and 18th century colonial English has resulted in Gullah, a creole language featuring its unique blend of African tongues and pidgin English. Thousands of distinct African words coming from various West African languages have been identified by linguists. A few words have been added into contemporary mainstream American English. These include goober (peanut), gumbo (okra), and voodoo (witchcraft). The word Gullah itself also hails from West Africa. Many of this ethnic group's given names are taken directly from languages passed down for hundreds of years, such as Abiona and Pitipa. American English is the language used when dealing with outsiders, but Gullah is the language of the marketplace and the home.
　　As with most African cultures, the Gullah have a rich tradition of music. The banjo, a stringed musical instrument, was an African invention brought over with the slaves to the New World. It has been popularized in both North America and Europe over the past 200 years. A great variety of drums, too, accompanied African music to the colonies in North and South America. Singing both solo and a cappella with rich harmonies was also part of the slave heritage. Despite their demanding and depressing lives, the slaves held their original languages and music as well as their masters' Christianity close to their hearts. Much of the music today involves church music, also referred to as spirituals or gospel music.
　　An evening with Marlena Smalls and her Hallelujah Singers is nothing short of inspirational. They are dressed at times in traditional African clothing, and at other times in the simple and conservative rural dress of Southern U.S. society. This unusual performance includes much singing, frequent samples of Gullah as used in the marketplace or between women gossiping. A great deal of emphatic body language, and even occasional tribal dance steps to thumping drums and enthusiastic shouting are also features of the performance. Mrs. Smalls introduces the background to individual songs or other performances to help the audience —— often peppered with overseas tourists —— have a clearer idea of how the Gullah communicate to each other. Even without the helpful introductions, however, music lovers will appreciate the peerless singing quality of the Hallelujah Singers as they render their traditional folk songs with obvious love and pride. Interspersed with Mrs. Smalls witty and classy narrative, the evening passes all too quickly.
　　It is refreshing to know that some ethnic groups are proudly clinging to their priceless legacies. Despite the tragedy of their origins in slavery, the Gullah have survived and revived to produce a viable, enviable folk culture even amidst the technological wonders of the 21st century. We can be thankful that in concert or on recorded media, Marlena Smalls and the Hallelujah Singers will touch all of us listeners with their heartfelt oral tradition through the magic of music.

　　马莉娜．史莫斯这个名字听来耳熟吗？也许不是，至少到目前为止没听过。然而，如果这位大嘴巴、眼睛闪亮的大块头女人如愿以偿的话，那么海洋群岛以外的许许多多的人们将会很乐意知晓格勒人的语言、风俗和歌曲。因为史莫斯太太的梦想就是，透过她和她的歌舞表演团的努力，他们的格勒小区将不再是美国奴隶时代遗留下来的一个封闭而过时的产物，而是21世纪地球村的一支文化生力军。
　　海洋群岛由美国东南方大西洋沿岸的南卡罗来纳州和佐治亚州外海的一群岛屿所组成。奴隶后裔在此定居并耕种岛上和附近沿岸的肥沃土地。西非语系大量地混入十七、十八世纪殖民时期的英语后就产生了格勒语，一种结合非洲话和混杂英语为特色的独特克里欧耳语。语言学家们已经辨认出数千个来自各种西非语言的确定无误的非洲文字。其中有些文字已被加进现代主流美语中。这些字包括古柏（花生）、甘波（秋葵），和巫毒（巫术）等。格勒这个字本身也源自西非。许多这支少数民族出身的人都直接以几百年传下来的语言取名字，例如阿比欧娜和皮提巴便是。美语是用来和外来客打交道用的，但格勒语则是在市场上和家里说的。
　　和大部分非洲文化一样，格勒人也有着丰富的音乐传统。班卓原本是非洲人发明的一种弦乐器，后来和奴隶一起被带到新世界去。在过去两百年来则风行于北美和欧洲两地。许多各种不同的鼓也随着非洲音乐传入美洲殖民地。独唱和伴随着丰富和声的合唱也是奴隶传统的一部分。尽管生活艰辛苦闷，奴隶们心中仍紧紧拥抱着他们原本的语言和音乐，以及主人的基督教。今天他们的音乐掺入了许多教堂音乐，教堂音乐也被称作心灵音乐或福音音乐。
　　观赏马莉娜．史莫斯以及她的哈利路亚合唱团的晚会表演绝不会令人觉得枯燥无味。他们一会儿穿着传统非洲服装，一会儿穿着美国南方社会简单的传统乡村衣裳。这独特的表演节目大部分是歌唱，还不时穿插市集上以及妇女闲聊时所用的地道的格勒语。许多夸张的肢体语言，甚至偶尔来上一段和着隆隆鼓声和热烈叫喊的部落舞蹈也是表演的特色。史莫斯太太介绍每首歌曲或其它表演的背景，以帮助观众——时常夹杂国外观光客——更加了解格勒人如何彼此沟通。然而，即使没有这部分介绍的帮忙，当哈利路亚合唱团洋溢着爱和骄傲唱出他们传统的民谣时，音乐爱好者亦能欣赏他们如天籁一般的声音。在史莫斯太太机智而高明的叙述声中，欢乐的夜晚时光一下就过去了。
　　得知有些少数民族正骄傲地固守着他们无价的遗产，真是令人振奋。尽管来自奴隶的不幸出身，格勒人仍在廿一世纪的科技奇迹中欲火重火，努力创造出一个成功在望、令人羡慕的民族文化。我们可以庆幸的是，在演唱会中或录制好的媒体上，马莉娜．史莫斯和哈利路亚合唱团将透过音乐的魔力，以他们真心的传统歌唱感动我们所有的听众。